The ACORN 8: In the nick of time or too late?

By Michael Gaynor

ACORN needs reform, truth and transparency...and its political and media allies should be exposed and inspected, not encouraged and protected.

The ACORN 8 claim to represent "a new beginning for ACORN of the people, by the people and for the people."

They believe that "ACORN cannot change itself without your help, since 'Power concedes nothing without a demand, it never has and it never will" (quoting Fredrick Douglas).

Their professed goal: "to reform ACORN to insure truth and transparency within the organization, and to our supporting sponsors, and our general membership."

ACORN needs reform, truth and transparency...and its political and media allies should be exposed and inspected, not encouraged and protected.

The ACORN 8 are complaining about the way ACORN has operated for years, in and out of court.

The ACORN 8 recently filed a civil RICO suit alleging that they "have discovered that ACORN has become the victim of its Senior Staff and Executive Committee members through the course of an association-in-fact enterprise and RICO conspiracy."

The ACORN 8 further allege: "The Defendants have engaged in these acts knowingly and intentionally with a common purpose of controlling ACORN its and its associated/affiliated entities and denying its membership the benefits of any true democratic process. Thus, there appears to be a pattern of misuse and/or conversion of funds, abuse of management authorization, concealment of assets and evidence of management collusion, throughout ACORN and related organizations."

Unfortunately, the liberal media attention is not treating ACORN as particularly newsworthy these day.

Thus, ACORN is only in the news for a possible multi-billion raid on the United States Treasury as part of the huge "stimulus" bill being crafted in Congress.

Ardent, articulate ACORN whistleblower Anita MonCrief recently railed against this in her blog (www.anitamoncrief.blogspot.com), as follows:

"If it were a movie, the title would read ACORN Part IV: The Payoff. Unfortunately, its not a movie and the Association Of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) is finally back in the news after a post election hiatus filled with strategically placed puff pieces on members barging into foreclosure meetings and disrupting proceedings. The proposed stimulus package will continue on in the Bush tradition of rewarding bad behavior.

"To refresh the minds of a public who may have missed the 1000+ a day pre-election blogs and articles, ACORN has continued on its storied path of 'shady' voter registration tactics, intimidation and ultimately financial rewards."

Alas, it is President Obama (whom Anita enthusiastically supported), not former President Bush, who has long been associated with ACORN and was ACORN's candidate in the last presidential election.

Anita puts blame on ACORN and the Right!

Anita: "During the election cycle, ACORN was cited in at least twelve states on suspicious voter registration activities, and recently in St. Louis, MO a former ACORN worker was indicted. The real story has not been reported yet, the truth is that the voter registration fraud allegations are pure misdirection by ACORN. They welcome [this] type of allegation because it allows them to operate while holding up minorities and screaming about racial discrimination and voter intimidation. The Right seems to play their roles perfectly by lambasting ACORN in the press, and the general public doesn't know who to believe. While everyone is looking left; ACORN is making off with your life savings over on the right. This smoke and mirrors approach works well for ACORN whose Voter Registration activities range from the aggressive to the absurd...."

Alas, Anita is right...that "[t]he real story has not been reported yet."

In part, that's because the liberal media establishment did not choose to report it and conservatives did not have the evidence.

Remember, more than a year passed from the day The New York Times reported in an article deep in the paper that then presidential hopeful Obama has dis-invited Rev. Jeremiah A. "God damn America" Wright, Jr. to the kickoff of his presidential campaign because he believed that Rev. Wright's sermons could be "rough" before we learned (and NOT from The New York Times) what "rough" meant.

The Right is right to lambast ACORN (just as Anita and the ACORN 8 have been doing).

But people across the political spectrum are not in a position to complain about what they do not know.

Anita: "ACORN main goal was never bipartisan voter registration, but to ultimately control our once democratic elections. During the November 27-29 2006 Political Operations Debrief Retreat at Petit Jean State Park, ACORN staff met to map out certain goals and among them was how to steal elections...."

THAT is newsworthy.

Anita: "In order to expose ACORN we must retrain ourselves to look beyond their antics in election years and review the overall criminal activities of the organization. At the current rate of expansion, ACORN could control elections in most major cities...."

BUT...unless the FACTS about how the ACORN story has been skillfully managed for political purposes by the liberal media, that's not going to happen!

Anita: "In order for the new administration to really achieve truth and transparency, they must be able to say no to ACORN's requests for payoff. How many victories has ACORN stolen from candidates by either tainting their election or claiming their victory? I call on all of the Senators from ACORN battleground states like Florida, Missouri, Ohio , Pennsylvania and Minnesota to publicly denounce these type of tactics that allow for the poor to be used and for then indicted."

But does the Administration that owes its existence to ACORN want THAT "truth and transparency"?

In the last election campaign, then presidential candidate distanced himself from ACORN by NOT telling the truth and being transparent.

Anita: "... there is an organized effort to deceive the public..." about ACORN.

YES!

And the choice is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...or be complicit by being silent.

Anita: "The ACORN 8 and other whistleblowers are ready to testify on the Hill, we welcome that chance to expose ACORN, and stop this brazen attempt at giving more money this these poverty pimps. But it is up to our Senators to make the right decision and support the constituents; the moms; the teachers; construction and office workers; and the unemployed. It's time to give them their payoff: loyalty."

The declaration at the top of Anita's blog reads as follows: "There has been much speculation as to my motives, which is ironic to me since the media and ACORN have given me a lesson in integrity and political motivations.... I speak for myself and I am not afraid to post the truth."

Let that be the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Before Election Day 2008, Anita mused: "This may be Obama's year, but if it had been Clinton's ACORN would still be using the same tired voter registration practices and using intimidation to worm their way into the campaign. As an African American running for president Obama was put in the unique position of denying ties to an organization that Clinton and Edwards actively and openly courted. ACORN's strategic plan for the new administration was set way before the first candidate threw their hat in, and much attention has been paid to the Obama and ACORN connection. What about the ACORN and corruption connection?"

Anita also mused: "I do feel that in the fervor of the elections that we have let our emotions cloud some truths. Much has been reported to try and sway opinions one way or the other. However, one fundamental fact is undeniable. ACORN has been hiding behind the age old tactic of race baiting and demeaning tactics. As 'poverty pimps' they have misused the system and polluted the fundamental right that so many have shed blood for (black, white, men and women)...."

It's time for the whole truth to be UNclouded.

© Michael Gaynor